Bloomsbury Festival 2015

Bloomsbury festival returns this year as a four day explosion of arts, sciences and fun in the streets, parks, museums, galleries and public & (normally) private buildings of this vibrant cultural quarter.

As a cultural institution that sits in the heart of this historically creative and innovative area of London - and besides, we do like to think of ourselves as specialists in a light-based medium - we are delighted to be hosting five Bloomsbury Festival events at Curzon Bloomsbury and in the Bertha DocHouse.

We have three family friendly screenings - a Bloomsbury-set absolute classic, Disney's Peter Pan; the world's earliest surviving animation film The Adventures of Prince Achmed, made with beautiful shadow puppets by director Lotte Reiniger; and a short film of Fevered Sleep's show Brilliant, recommended for young children.

We are also giving you the rare chance to get behind the scenes with an architecture tour of the cinema guided by architect Takero Shimazaki, who was in charge of the cinema's refurbishment earlier this year. The tour is followed by a screening of Antonioni's cult film The Passenger, which sees Jack Nicholson on location in the Brunswick Centre.

Bertha DocHouse is also offering a a fascinating take on the theme of light and a powerful cinematic experience with the documentary Nostalgia for the Light. Click on the images below to find out more and book tickets.

Kids Club: Peter Pan (1953) (U)

Saturday 24 October 2015, 10:30am

Disney's classic film adaptation from J.M. Barrie's play returns! The Darling children fly away from Bloomsbury in search of adventures in Neverland with Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and Captain Hook.

Tickets: £3 (No unaccompanied adults)

Architecture Tour of the Cinema + Antonioni's The Passenger

Saturday 24 October 2015, 10.15am for 10.30am start. Film starts at 12noon

A tour of the newly refurbished Curzon cinema led by architect Takero Shimazaki, followed by a screening of Michelangelo Antonioni’s iconic film The Passenger (1975), partly shot in the Brunswick.

Tickets: £15 / £12.50 concessions

Architecture Tour of the Cinema + Antonioni's The Passenger

Saturday 24 October 2015, 10.15am for 10.30am start. Film starts at 12noon

A tour of the newly refurbished Curzon cinema led by architect Takero Shimazaki, followed by a screening of Michelangelo Antonioni’s iconic film The Passenger (1975), partly shot in the Brunswick.

Tickets: £15 / £12.50 concessions

Bertha DocHouse: Nostalgia for the Light (2010) (12A)

Saturday 24 October, 4.00pm

A mesmerising documentary about the area in Chile's Atacama desert where astronomers study the birth of the galaxies, and widows search for the remains of their relatives who disappeared during the Pinochet dictatorship.

Tickets: £9 / £7 concessions

Fevered Sleep's Brilliant (U)

Sunday 25 October, 10:00am

Set in a dreamlike world made of light, and the magical space between wakefulness and sleep, Brilliant follows the journey of a girl who overcomes her fear of the dark. Created especially for the very young, Brilliant explores the deep emotions, strange imaginings and secret games that happen as we drift off to sleep.

Tickets: FREE, booking recommended

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) (PG)

Sunday 25 October, 10.30am

Based on tales from The Arabian Nights, Lotte Reiniger’s masterpiece The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) is the earliest surviving full-length animated film. Suitable for families and adults alike.

Tickets: £7 / £6 (Curzon Members)

There are over 130 events in the Festival including classical concerts, theatre, dance, talks, installations, exhibitions, outdoor music stages, quirky and intriguing adventures, community projects, and family friendly events. For the full programme details, please visit the Bloomsbury Festival website.

The Bloomsbury Festival runs 22-25 October 2015 all over Bloomsbury.

About BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL

Established in 2006, Bloomsbury Festival is a creative explosion of arts, science, literature, culture and fun throughout the streets, parks, museums, galleries, laboratories and public and (normally) private buildings of this vibrant cultural quarter. For hundreds of years Bloomsbury has been catalyst for ideas that have had impact across the world.

Bloomsbury Festival celebrates contemporary Bloomsbury; a hot bed of creativity and pioneering development which has one of the youngest and most diverse populations in the country. Created with its extraordinary community including more libraries, museums, and educational establishments than any other part of the city, the Festival acts as catalyst bringing together its diverse population, and as a spur to develop new projects and new ideas.

Bloomsbury Festival has undertaken considerable development in the last two years. The organisation achieved charitable status in late 2012, and delivered its biggest Festival to date in 2013 attracting audiences of over 50,000 people for a five day event. Having taken a pause in 2014 for strategic development and consolidation 2015 marks the Festival’s relaunch with a new director and refreshed artistic vision under new Director Kate Anderson.